Ex-Labour leader Corbyn urges home secretary to 'reflect what is democracy' in Assange case

LONDON (AA) – Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged Home Secretary Priti Patel to “reflect what is a democracy other than the ability of journalists to do their job,” while making a decision on WikiLeaks’ co-founder Julian Assange’s extradition to the US.

Speaking in front of Westminster Magistrates' Court, where a short hearing on the extradition case is being held on Wednesday, Corbyn also urged the court to release Assange.

“I say to this court release Julian Assange, that he may be able to continue his work as a journalist telling the truth about the way in which so much of this world is what is right,” he said.

Corbyn underlined that he hated the violence of wars, and said he wanted “Julian's troops to help us to demand a cease-fire as an end to the war in Ukraine, a cease-fire and an end to the war in Yemen, and all the other wars around the world.”

Corbyn said Assange “has given us truth, which has enabled us to do that campaigning.”

He said: “So when [British Home Secretary] Priti Patel is asked to make that decision, I ask her to reflect what is a democracy other than the ability of journalists to do their job to ask the strong questions of politicians and those that make decisions.”

“What is a democracy but protecting that right? That right to speak that right to know that right to assemble that right to be an activist?”

He said “it will be on her hands this our hope she will reflect of those great journalists of the past that have done so much to give us truths and recognize that in those steps comes Julian Assange.”

Corbyn added that whatever the decision is made today, he will carry on campaigning with Assange and his wife Stella Morris.

“Whatever decision Priti Patel makes we will carry on campaigning with our many friends all across the United States in support of Julian, free speech, journalism and democracy.”

Westminster Magistrates’ Court is expected to issue an order to extradite Assange to the US, where he will face 18 counts of hacking the US government computers and violating the espionage law if he is extradited to the US and a potential prison sentence for years.

Assange was dragged out of Ecuador’s embassy building in London in 2019, where he took refuge for more than seven years.

The British police arrested him for skipping his bail in 2012 and on behalf of the US due to an extradition warrant.

The court also saw dozens of supporters asking for immediate release of Assange.